Articular joints may become damaged as the result of trauma, disease, wear, etc. Advancing damage to an articular joint may result in pain, loss of mobility of the afflicted joint, etc. Various techniques and systems may be used for repairing damaged articular joints in the human body. One common approach for repairing a defective joint is to replace the damaged region with a repair component. Generally a repair component may include a prosthetic device or a biological component.
A critical aspect of a repair procedure is the resection of at least a portion of the damaged articular cartilage and the underlying bone. Often the damaged articular cartilage is resected by opening the joint and directly drilling, cutting, or grinding away the damaged material. Such an approach typically requires at least partial separation of the joint. Separation of the joint necessary for resecting the damaged articular cartilage may result in attendant damage to ligaments and other connective tissues. Damage to the connective tissues of the joint may increase the recovery time, and perhaps limit the ultimate recovery.